The Super Bowl is nearly here. Both the NBA and NHL seasons are in full swing. We're building toward March Madness in college basketball.

So what's all this baseball talk?

Well, the first McFarlane's Sports Picks: MLB line of 2004 is getting close to retail release, that's what. We wanted to get a jump on spring training this year and have a full baseball series on the shelves when the game is just getting warmed up.

MLB Series 8 contains the following figures:

Alfonso Soriano 2, New York Yankees 2B, No. 12

Alex Rodriguez, Texas Rangers SS, No. 3

Jeff Bagwell, Houston Astros 1B, No. 5

Hideki Matsui, New York Yankees RF, No. 55

John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves P, No. 29

Kevin Brown, Los Angeles Dodgers P, No. 27

Richie Sexson, Milwaukee Brewers 1B, No. 11

Note: Due to a trade, Kevin Brown will also be available in the uniform of his new team, the New York Yankees. Look for this all-new line of baseball action figures in stores in February ... with MLB Series 9 not far behind.